Last Flight Home The Final All Time Low Story
by GabbyRice
Summary: The journey to Jack and Grace's wedding hits a bump, a very nasty bump. See where things take these lovebirds. Includes scavenger hunts, puzzles, premarital sex and lots of love. Featuring Alex Gaskarth, Jack Barakat, Rian Dawson and Zack Merrick.
1. Chapter 1

By Gabby Reisz

The white Down comforter wrapped around my naked body, sending chills up my spine. The pad of paper on the bedside table had 'Mariot' scribbled across the top. I had awoken with a stir in what looked to be the Honeymoon Suite.

The pounding in my head nearly sent me back to the pillows. I glanced at the clock. 4:46am. My stomach cringed and my eyes fluttered helplessly. I was hungover, afraid, unmovable, and had no knowledge of my location.

My ears were still ringing, but not enough to hear the light beats of a running shower. Oh shit, someone else was there too. After running my fingers through my greasy hair, I stretched my bare legs and slid off the bed. Though my feet hurt, I took the baby steps to the bathroom.

I was startled to see a bathtub in the center of the room. Now I knew it was the Honeymoon Suite.

I attempted to tip-toe, but failed miserably. I was too tired and nauseous to walk in a straight line, too hungover to even focus. The generic light purple walls only fueled my headache and almost made me topple over.

Before opening the door to the classy bathroom, I looked back at the bed and that Down comforter, only wondering what happened the night before. I sighed and continued on into the bathroom.

I heard cheerful humming hiding behind the tan shower curtain only feet from myself. Taking slow steps towards it, I prayed to myself it was the best boyfriend in the world. I hoped more than anything it was.

Gripping the curtain with my right hand, I felt my arm go limp. I had almost lost all feeling when I threw the curtain aside.

Holy Shit.

"Ah! Grace! Why are you naked!?" Alex shouted. Terror shook his entire gorgeous face. He seemed more shocked to see me then I was to see him.

"Why are you naked!?" I shouted back.

"No shit, I'm in the shower!"

"Where the fuck are we!?"

"I don't know! Why are you asking me!?" Alex said confused.

"Why are you taking a shower?" I asked.

"Maybe I feel a little dirty!" He defended.

"Are you hinting that we-"

"I don't know!" Alex shouted. The wrinkle between his eyebrows deepened in fear.

"Would you stop yelling! My head is killing me!" I said, rubbing at my temple.

"Well maybe you shouldn't have slept with me!"

Alex's shouts were hitting me at a low blow. I didn't handle yelling well.

"JESUS ALEX PUT SOME FUCKING CLOTHES ON!" I said. Only after realizing that we were shouting completely in the nude.

Alex shoved the shower curtain rudely back in place. I felt horridly rejected. In shame, I walked back to the bedroom where awful doings had taken place. The room was a mess of clothing and empty champagne bottles.

I lifted the clothes that were obviously mine from the floor. A little black dress, panties and a strapless bra. How classy of me.

My cell phone alerted with a buzz, making me jump. Eleven missed calls, all from Jack and only one from Rian. Ignoring responsibility, I dialed Rian's number instead of Jack's. I let it ring while I slipped on yesterday's clothing.

"Hello?" A pleasantly familiar voice I identified as Rian Dawson asked.

"Oh thank God it's you Rian! Can you tell me what is going on?"

"Grace? Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. But I'm having trouble remembering what happened last night."

"You don't? Our show in Sacramento? The after party got kind of crazy." Rian explained.

It all came back to me instantly. The small club, the high heels, the provocative dancing. Through my hazy memory, I do remember Alex being quite flirty, and Jack being somewhat distant.

"Oh, I think I remember now."

"Is Alex with you?" Rian asked.

I inhaled quickly. I loved Rian like a brother, but I was still hesitant for him to know about my excursion with Alex. I blinked a few times before responding.

"Why would he be?" I tried to act shocked and slightly offended.

"I don't know! He didn't show up last night and I still haven't heard from him." He said.

"Well I'll keep an eye out for him."

"Thanks, oh and Grace? Where are you again?" Rian asked.

Thinking quickly I answered, "I'm at this small crappy hotel. But I have my wallet, phone and everything, so no need to worry about me. I'll get a cab to the bus."

"Okay, the bus is in the parking lot at Arco Arena."

"Okay, see you in a few." I said, closing my phone.

With my head still buzzing, I flopped down on the bed, completely exhausted. What the hell had I done?

Suddenly the restroom door flew open, and a still naked Alex walked through the entry way. With a hairbrush in hand, Alex was chanting the words to his favorite Journey song.

"DON'T STOP... BELIEVING!"

"Alex, put some God damn clothes on."

(A/N heheh end of the first chapter! More coming soon :] Paix)


	2. Chapter 2

[A/N because I love my readers so damn much :) remember, review are lovely. Paix]

The white cab was hot, smelled of b.o., and badly needed a cleaning. I was glad I wasn't going very far. I had to pay even more to enter the arena parking lot.

The cab dropped me off in the center of the lot, nowhere near the bus. I tipped him and watched him drive away. After he was out of sight, I searched for the bus and my loving friends. Ugh, nowhere in sight.

I began to wander. It was hard not to cry, realizing the terrible guilt I felt. This situation was one of the few I promised my mother I would never get into. I said I wouldn't be like those girls.

"_Mom, you'll never need to worry about me. I promise."_

It hurt even worse to know that I had the most amazing boyfriend ever.

Trying to distract myself from the pain in my gut, I began to hum Last Straw by Jack's Mannequin. It didn't exactly help, it was Jack's favorite song. He loved Jack's Mannequin.

The tapping of my heels on the pavement only worsened my anguish, making my femininity appear as a weapon. All I wanted was to reach down and snap the heels right off. I already felt like a monster, I didn't need to break things too. Restraining myself was a step in a good direction.

It was nearly 5:30 am, yet the sky was bright and clear, almost like it was midday. This was my favorite part about California; the clean, crisp air. It was early, so it was still fairly chilly out. This weather always brought out my good side.

To make my sadness a little brighter, a very happy Alex Grieco appeared with a smile stretching across his face and arms wide. He was waiting for me at one of the numerous curbs, holding a can of Coke and a copy of AP Magazine.

"Gracie!" He grinned.

"Grieco!" I smiled back, jumping into his arms gladly.

"Last night was killer, huh?" he asked.

"Let's not talk about that, kay?" I sighed. I backed away from Grieco and waited for him to lead me to the bus. His brown eyes trailed off into the distance, where I spotted the giant black bus I called home. I grabbed his hand and soon we were off to see everyone else.

It wasn't long until I was in Jack's safe arms. He was sitting outside with his lawn chair and a beer, happy as a clam. When I arrived, he leaped from his seat and greeted me sweetly. Jack wasn't one to flaunt the relationship, so he towed me into the empty bus to talk.

"Are you okay?" he asked in all seriousness. His eyes locked with mine only for a second before looking down at our intertwined hands.

"Ha, of course I'm fine! What? You expect me of all people to get into trouble?" I laughed nervously.

"No, but who knows?" he said quietly. Biting his lip, his eyes trailed off and focused on something else.

It took me a second to realize that he was honestly worried about me.

"Jack, I'm okay." I gripped the sides of his face tightly to bring him back to my attention. "I think you're better off worrying about Alex."

"Oh shit, I totally forgot. What did that dumbass get into now?" He said, breaking that light tension only I was feeling.

"Dude, it's Alex. God knows where he could be."

Jack smiled, his face lighting up. We hadn't seen any trouble in weeks, and he was more than happy at that fact. Seeing him happy made me happy, but the little secret bottled up inside was slowly eating at me.

"Jack, I'm sorry I wandered off last night." I whispered.

"No problem, we were all wasted as hell." he said.

I stepped off the couch to look at him. He peered at me, puzzled at my intentions. A giggle escaped me as hurled towards him into his lap. Laying back and wrapping my arms around his neck, I felt right at home with him.

"Last show tonight." Jack said through his laughing.

"Aw, I don't want to leave California!" I sighed sadly.

Jack looked down at me, keeping a small smile. His eyes seemed to search mine, unknowingly making me nervous. All I wondered was what he could see.

"We have stuff to start working on. June 10th is coming soon." he stated.

Shit. Last night's craziness and this morning's nudity nearly made me forget about my own wedding. My entire body went cold, limp and unmovable. The guilt inside of me had literally frozen me solid. What had I done?

To cover up my astonishment, I smiled lightly. He happily blinked before leaning down to kiss me, his swift lips made me blush uncontrollably. I closed my eyes and tightened my arms at his neck. He held me close, placing his hands at my waist and laying down on the couch.

"WHOA. Get a room!" An all too familiar voice laughed.

It was hard not to leap from the couch and sucker punch Alex Gaskarth in the fucking face. I took time from my moment with Jack to give Alex my best evil glare. He mockingly glared back.

"Alex, go die." I said through clenched teeth.

"Jeez Grace, panties on too tight?"

Suddenly my eyes grew cold. Jack laughed, unknowing that his best friend just bumped uglies with his girlfriend. I broke away from Alex's eyes and lied my head on Jack's chest, facing the couch.

"Alex, just go. Go..." Jack struggled, "Go fly a kite."

All I heard was an Alex sigh, then footsteps fading away. Alex was gone, sweet victory. Feeling more comfortable, I turned back to Jack to kiss him just once on the nose. I rolled off the couch and waited for him to get up.

"Are you ready to get married?" Jack asked. I looked back to see him staring at the ceiling with one hand behind his head, the other resting on his stomach. I sat myself down on one of the wooden bar stools, prepared for an intense conversation.

I sighed quietly. "Of course I am."

"I feel like we're so young." He said, his eyes still on the pale ceiling.

"There's still 6 months. I think we'll be ready in time." I smiled.

Jack smiled weakly, thinking hard before speaking. "No regrets." he whispered.

"None." I whispered back, looking at the light beige carpet below me, regretting everything that happened the night before.

Jack leaned up from the couch and finally looked at me. He stood up and slowly walked to my side. Softly, he put his hands on either side of my face, bent his forehead onto mine, and closed his eyes. Almost silently he whispered, "I love you."

Closing my own eyes, I slid off the stool to straighten up and kiss him. It lasted a few seconds before I ended the kiss by moving my head under his chin. Into his neck I whispered, "That was cheesy."

Jack pulled away and looked at me funny, but laughed it off. Though he tended to act four, he didn't play around when I was with him.

"Thanks, I'll remember that next time we bed boogie." Jack smiled and suddenly began to grind on me.

"Jack!" I said shoving him, hoping no one was around.

The show that night was fun (from backstage, that is), but also somewhat sad. It was the last of All Time Low's touring for a long while, and it also meant the departure from California. I felt some of the buzz from the concert slip away, only after realizing this was the last of my travels for a long time.

While the guys were singing new songs from their upcoming album, I could feel my eyes slowly closing. I had no idea why, but I couldn't stay awake. I remember leaning on Kara's shoulder, then everything goes blank. I probably drank something laced on accident.

Waking up in someone's arms is always nice, unless it's not your boyfriend. I knew it wasn't Jack when I awoke to firm biceps wrapped around my body. I was being carried by my dear friend Zachary Steven Merrick.

"Zack? Have I been drugged? Where's Jack? Am I dead?" I rambled.

"I'm fairly sure you haven't been drugged. Jack is probably peeing in a trash can. And no, you are in fact, alive." Zack answered.

"Why is Jack peeing in a trash can?"

"It's what alcohol does to him."

The sky was pitch black, but the stars couldn't be seen. The bright lights from Arco were too bright and fluorescent that they blocked my view. I let my body go limp in Zack's arms as he lifted me to the bus.

I woke up several hours later, but oddly wrapped in blankets on the back couch. A bead of sweat dribbled down my face, I was still dressed in last night's clothes. I leaned over the edge to see Jack scrambled on the floor, he too wearing last night's clothing. Sadly, we were on our way home.


	3. Chapter 3

(A/N itty bitty warning for naughty language :) Paix, Gabby)

"What about kids?" I asked Jack, suddenly realizing the awkward question I had thrown out. Jack stared at me, wide eyed. I almost thought he had diminished completely. But before I slapped him back into reality, he put his hand to his chin to ponder the idea.

"Not now." was all he could muster together.

That was a somewhat decent answer. Mine was quite similar.

"Do you think kids are a bad idea?" I asked.

"Not a bad idea, just... I mean, we're 21! We have so much time! We don't need kids right now, do we?" Jack replied.

"You're right, no kids." I scratched the idea off on my internal 'things to do' list.

Suddenly, there was a light clenching pain in my left ear. The ear was a quite odd place to feel pain...

"Jack? Are you biting my ear?"

"Erm, no."

"Yeah you were! Don't do that, it hurts." I laughed.

I sat up from his lap and straightened myself out. Jack and I were lounging around in his quaint room, in his little two-story house, tucked away on the outskirts of Baltimore. We had, yet again, been talking about our future.

I stood up from his bed, covered in light blue comforters, which went well with his light blue walls, and light wood furnished room. It was tidy and almost seemed too young for him.

"Why did you bite me?" I asked, finally facing him.

"It's nothing." he said. Though his face was screaming something else.

"Jack, we talked about honesty."

"It's just... I feel like we're not the new sexy couple anymore." Jack answered.

This was surprising to me.

"And who said that?" I asked.

"No one, but I think nothing exciting is happening between us."

I laughed out loud.

"Jack, you can't seriously think nothing exciting is happening. Are you trying to say we should have even more premarital sex?" I giggled.

"Well you know that's always nice." he said as he stood up and set his hands on my waist. I leaned up to kiss him, but I was still thinking about what he said. We weren't boring, were we?

Of course at that very moment my hormones kick in. I want Jack more than anything, and making him happy was very important. I decided to add that spice he was thinking of, so I threw him down on the bed and tried to be as sexy as possible.

It must've been my luck that brought Alex into the room.

"WHOA DUDE! At least put a sign on the door!" Alex shrieked. I had to look down to make sure I was wearing the necessary clothing appropriate for Alex's presence.

"Alex." Jack groaned.

Alex huffed, "What? This is like my second home, I can enter when I please."

"Could you be any more annoying?" I asked.

"Why yes, yes I could."

The tension in the room really had nothing to do with Jack. Just having Alex there was enough to make me tremble in fear. Seeing his face shot bad memories into my mind of that awful night.

"Dude, I gave that one chick your number. You know, the topless one at the concert a while ago?" Alex laughed.

"Oh yeah! She was hot!" Jack laughed back, giving Alex a high five.

I stared at them both in disgust, especially Jack. I gently lifted myself off of him and stepped back, folding my arms across my chest.

"Jack!"

"What Grace? It's just a crazed fan." Jack said. His voice questioning my tone.

"Yeah Grace, we're just complimenting her nice tits." Alex laughed.

"Both of you are such assholes!" I shouted.

"Grace, what the fuck? Chill." Jack said.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Alex scooting out of the room. Whatever. He could go get hit by a truck for all I care.

"What? Am I not aloud to look at my fans now?"

"I didn't say that! I'm just saying that you have a fiancée, you're not just the band guy anymore."

"That doesn't sound promising." Jack muttered.

"Oh my God Jack, what do you want from me?" I cried.

"Loosen up." Jack said. He was still slouching on his bed, while I was at my feet.

"Jack, I need to be able to trust you with all these crazy girls."

"Well I don't know if you can." Jack mustered obviously uncomfortable.

There was a long pause.

"What are you not telling me?" I questioned suspiciously.

"It doesn't even matter."

"Tell me." I said, feeling tears boiling up.

"No." Jack said. He was finally getting off his bed, standing up to face me.

"Jack!"

"Okay! Fine! I kissed a fan a couple weeks ago! Happy?!"

His angry words hit low, making me clutch my side. The tears hadn't quite come over yet, I was still in battle mode. Without thinking, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"I made pizza rolls!" Zack shouted happily.

"WELL I SLEPT WITH ALEX!"


	4. Chapter 4

Neither I nor Jack even glanced at Zack, only each other. I felt like shit, all my bodily fluids burning inside. My face was turning red, not with embarrassment, but with fear and regret. Jack's eye's filled with pain and confusion, making his normally happy face grow wrinkled and angry.

"I'll come back later." Zack walked away, leaving Jack's door wide open.

Without a word, Jack was gone. He disappeared from his room to some unknown place instantly. I was alone, and deeply hurt.

It wasn't necessarily fainting, just loss of energy and will power that brought me to the floor. My body was writhing and the floor was already wet with my tears as I clutched my knees and cried as hard as possible.

"Grace? Are you okay?" Zack's calm voice asked.

"No." I answered, letting out a loud sob.

"C'mon, sit up here." Zack said. He sat himself down on the bed and opened his arms wide for me. I merely looked at them for a few moments, then decided to take his offer. I climbed onto the bed and into my friend's arms, resting my head on his chest, where I proceeded to cry.

What I loved about Zack, was that he never asked questions, he just comforted. It was how he was with people, it was his personality.

My stomach dropped a few times, and my arms trembled violently. All the pain I had just put Jack through was backfiring at myself. My body was weak, my throat hurt, and my head was burning. I couldn't even imagine what Jack was going through.

"I slept with Alex." I whispered through the tears.

"I heard." Zack murmured back.

"I don't know what to do Zack, I hurt my best friend."

"It's okay, everything is going to be fine." he reassured.

Sitting in Zack's arms was probably the best idea. I was practically calm in minutes, tears slowly drying up. I was almost able to sit up when Rian ran in.

"Zack I need your help," Rian huffed, exhausted from running so fast, "Alex and Jack are beating the shit out of each other, I don't know why, and I can't stop them alone."

My body nearly twitched back, my appendages locking in place. I blinked, trying to clear my mind and focus. Even the thought of Alex and Jack fighting scared me. I was out of the room in less than 5 seconds.

I ran down the small stairwell in the direction of shouts, which trailed off to Jack's backyard. I shoved the screen door out of my way, opening up to the back porch. There they were, on the grass, throwing punches.

"HOLY FUCK STOP FIGHTING!" I screamed. The tears that had dried up were back again, pouring down my hot face onto my shirt. Even after my shouting, they were still rolling around on the ground, getting closer to killing one another.

"JACK!" I shrieked. My loss of energy and will power kicked in, bringing me to the wooden deck with a thud. I cupped my hands around my face, blocking my view of the awful sight.

To my horror, the grunts continued. I peered up, only to see that they didn't stop. But to my rescue, Zack, Rian and Matt were there to stop them. To help me was my loyal friend Danny Kurily the guitar tech, lifting me up off the wood, placing my arm over his shoulders.

It was dark out, and the back porch was lit up by lanterns and old Christmas lights. Danny helped me onto one of the bar stools, and stayed to support me. I leaned against the bar, with both elbows on the smooth glass, and my face in my hands.

"What up y'all?" Vincent Petrocelli, merch guy, announced his arrival, "What'd I miss?"

"Vinny, not a good time." Danny's boyish voice hushed.

Shouts were still echoing from the grass. They weren't throwing punches, but Alex and Jack were still exchanging words. Jack had to be restrained by Rian and Matt, while Zack merely gripped Alex tightly, to keep him from rebelling.

"What is this all about?" Vinny asked Danny. I heard a sigh of realization as he peeked at me and my puffy red eyes bent over the bar, with Danny's reassuring hand on my back.

"I can't believe you did this!" Jack shouted at Alex. He was tossing so hard he nearly threw Flyzik to the ground.

"Did what?" Alex asked.

"YOU SLEPT WITH MY GIRLFRIEND!" Jack roared angrily.

Alex scooted away from Jack's fierce words. "I didn't mean to, we were hammered. I don't remember a thing!" he defended.

"Are you trying to ruin my life? I'm about to get MARRIED and you pull this? I can't believe you!" Jack sounded more hurt than angry at this point, making me feel even guiltier than before.

"Dude, it was an accident! Get over it!" Alex contradicted.

Jack stopped his thrashing. He looked down at his feet before whispering, "I can't get over this one Alex."

At that moment, Matt and Rian released Jack. Before he left to somewhere, Jack looked right at me with quivering eyes. He walked away at a slow pace, leaving out the back gate.


	5. Chapter 5

(A/N if you don't like Lisa -Alex's real life girlfriend- then just stop reading now. I really don't want to lose readers because of a character, so try not to get so effing butthurt.

I apologize. I'm just sick of people who can't accept her. Enjoy)

Everyone surrounding me was in complete shock. Mostly the people who didn't know before hand what had happened. With all eyes pinned on me, I'd never felt like more of a whore in my life. I looked around at the disappointed glances hovering near me, only to lock eyes with Alex.

I couldn't stand it anymore. Leaving Danny behind, I raced back into the house and up to Jack's room, assuming he wouldn't be there. Though I heard voices calling after me, I slammed Jack's door and locked it.

The wood scratched at my body as I slid to the floor. The pain in Jack's eyes when he looked at me bit a hole inside, leaving me gasping for air. It had been over a year since I'd endured this kind of pain, but this was worse. This had happened on my terms, it was my own fault this time.

The ceiling of Jack's room drew my attention as the night grew old. He had pasted glow-in-the-dark stars at random, lighting up the room with a light green glow. Jack's room had a youthful feel to it, the same persona Jack always held; the young, restless, and free soul of a child.

Time passed, but the internal bruising hadn't. The room was black, with exception of the ceiling stars. My face was soiled from the tears that still couldn't stop. It had to be around two in the morning, considering the silence on the other side of the door.

I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep, however I willingly tried to shut my eyes. But every time I closed them, Jack's upset face wondered into my helpless mind, giving me nerve-racking chills. The floor wasn't comfortable, but I couldn't bring myself to sleep in Jack's bed. So I spent the night sitting with my back to the door.

The unbearable heat woke me instantly. I wasn't in Jack's quaint little room, I was on his old leather couch in the living room, drowning in blankets. Maryland must've been experiencing one of it's rare extreme heat days where the weather was rather high and dry.

First thing I noticed; I wasn't alone. Second thing; It was way too early for me to be awake. The clinking of pots and pans rang from the kitchen, and the smell of bacon made my mouth water. Though I had no idea who was in the kitchen, I hoped they were making something for me.

I tip-toed to the swinging doors, the entry way to the kitchen, and quietly flung them open. There at the counter was a dirty-blond petite girl I had never seen before. At my entrance, her small body flinched away from the stove she was cooking at.

"Who are you and what are you doing in Jack's house?" I asked urgently. Saying Jack's name sent a painful surge throughout my nerves.

"Um I'm... Lisa." the girl answered.

"Lisa? Lisa who?"

"I'm a friend of Kara's. She asked me to come here and take care of you." she answered shyly.

"Why do I need taking care of? Where is everybody else?" I asked.

Lisa pursed her lips. "Trying to work things out. With Jack I mean."

I sighed heavily. Everyone was out doing my responsibility, while I sat at home eating bacon. Fuck it all.

"Do you know where they went?" I asked inconspicuously.

"Some restaurant maybe, something with an O..."

"Obrycki's?"

"Yeah!" Lisa smiled. Obrycki's was the local crab house, one of Jack's favorites. Now that I knew where they were, I only needed to dress myself and slip out without Lisa knowing.

"I'm going to go get dressed, kay?" I said as I quickly exited the kitchen.

"Okay, but don't think about sneaking out." She murmured under her breath.

I stopped in my tracks, turning on one heel to face this girl. Raising my eyebrow, I asked, "And why not?"

"Cause I promised Kara that you wouldn't step out of this house." She answered, taking a bite out of the fresh bacon.

"And why would that stop me?"

"Kara said she'd take back your wedding present..."

I gasped, "She wouldn't!"

Lisa nodded comically, this was all fun for her.

"But I need to talk to Jack." I said.

"They said he's not ready to talk to you yet." she sighed.

I looked at my feet, understanding that he probably wasn't. I most likely wasn't ready either. I had no idea what to say to him, to make him comprehend that I have no feelings for Alex whatsoever.

Even thinking about it stabbed at my stomach, making me clutch the counter for support. My head was spinning out of control yet again, nearly sending me to the floor. Lisa took notice of my episode immediately, jumping off her ass to help me.

"Are you okay?" she asked frantically.

"This... happens... all the time." I murmured. I felt my body losing air swiftly, my head getting lighter every second. This mental breakdown was a bit more drastic than usual. I felt my forehead, flinching away at the blazing heat.

Lisa lifted me off the ground, towing me to the leather couch. I didn't know how she could; she was so small. Her little hands wiped my hair from my sweaty face, also flinching away from the heat. She obviously wasn't prepared for a fiasco like this. With a terrified look in her eyes, she ran to the kitchen, returning seconds later with a bottle of water.

I had calmed down when Kara called Lisa. I hated being out of the loop, while listening to one end of the conversation. I just laid on the couch and waited.

"Okay, I'll tell her, bye." Lisa said, hanging up her phone.

"Tell who what?" I asked.

"Jack's ready to talk." She said with careful eyes. She had no idea what I'd pull next.

Luckily for her, I was completely fine. I knew I was ready to face him.

(A/N I realize that Lisa is currently a brunette. This story was written just before she went redhead.)


	6. Chapter 6

I made sure to wear clothes that made me feel better about myself. It was a strategy I picked up in high school. For my reconnecting chat with Jack, I wore my red plaid blouse, my dark wash denim jeans and my pale button up jacket.

The air outside was brisk and cool, just cold enough to brighten my cheeks with a pink tint. Kara had sent me to a bench by a lamppost at the end of South Broadway by the inner harbor. Night had nearly fallen, the sun not quite out of sight. I saw couples leaving, returning home to their families, I assumed.

After minutes of sitting alone, I was the only one left. The avenue was absolutely empty, only the sounds of the birds and the rushing water hummed, filling my head with fear at what was to come. I began to hum 'I'm Lost Without You' by Blink 182, another song I learned through Jack.

The thought of Jack sent a single tear down my frozen face. Just as it slipped away, Jack appeared from under the dim lamppost. His hands were forcibly stuck in his pockets, his pace slow, his eyes gentle.

I didn't know whether to embrace him, or start out slow and ease in. If he could barely talk to me, I presumed he wouldn't handle my tight hugs.

"Hi." he breathed. His eyes were catching the last of the sun as it slowly slid away.

"I'm sorry." I wailed silently. My throat was already stuffed due to tears.

Jack stared at me vacantly. He had nothing to say. So instead of waiting in the still, I spoke for him.

"I know I can't take any of it back, but understand that if I could, I would. Alex is nothing more than a friend. I love him like a brother, but he could never affect my feelings for you." I said. Jack's eyes were motionless, not at all ready to speak.

"Jack-" I found it hard to even state his name, "I love you, you're the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. Not Alex, not anyone else. Please believe that." I whispered, gripping his jacket loosely.

Jack's face remained blank and unmovable, his mouth limp, and his eyes impassive. I wanted to shake him, to bring back his wandering mind. But I knew the situation didn't call for it.

"Please say something!"

I began to weep, resting my forehead on Jack's chest, my hands still holding on tightly to his jacket. He stood there like a statue. Unmoving.

"Grace." Jack said into my hair.

I pulled away from his chest to glance at him, he had finally spoken.

"I'm not sure I can get past this." he said.

The gaping hole in my upper chest where my lungs should have been nearly made me pass out. I could feel myself loosing air quickly, yet silently and not noticeably. I was slowly dying inside, but Jack had no idea.

"But maybe we can."

Even after his optimistic statement, I was still left with a giant crater in my torso. Tears were still sprinkling down my face.

"Promise me two things?" he whispered.

I finally felt hope, like maybe we could see pass this nightmare. Without saying a word, I nodded sheepishly.

"We _both _stay away from Alex for the time being." he said sternly.

"That I can handle." I murmured.

"Secondly, we postpone the wedding."

I was a bit shocked, but mostly understanding of his logic. I had almost suggested it myself. But I needed one small bit of information.

"How long?" I said with a straight face.

"A month."

Reasonable, I'll give him that.

"Okay." I said with confidence, "No Alex, late wedding. Got it."

"Grace, it's not that simple." Jack minded.

I stared at him blankly, unaware that he had more to share.

"I hate to say it, but you cheated on me, Grace." he said painfully. The torture in his voice was almost too much to bear. I looked down at my feet in surrender. I was thoroughly sure of what I had done, and didn't need to be reminded. The discomfort was a lot for my body to endure, and I wasn't sure I could handle the pain.

"Do you... still love me." I asked, my eyes tilting downward.

"Of course I do!" he shouted, more happy than angry. He lifted my chin, moving his hand to the back of my head. Jack slowly bent towards my face to kiss me lightly on the lips.

Once he had backed away, I gained the courage to ask him, "Do you... forgive me?"

Jack paused, taking his sweet time to think before he spoke. My stomach dropped in anticipation, and my thoughts lingered, waiting, hoping.

Suddenly, Jack's lips were on mine, back again for a second kiss, but this one was much more enthusiastic than before. His lips were moist, but not wet. He was rough, yet gentle. He held me in close proximity to him, as if to never let go. It didn't matter to me that he was holding me almost too tight, but I did hope I wouldn't pass out anytime soon.

But the kiss ended before I could even think to gasp. Jack still held me tight, but locked eyes with the cool night sky. I was in no knowledge of what just happened. My arms set limply at my sides, his rested gently on my shoulders. I waited.

"Maybe."

"Hi." I said shyly. Jack stared back at me, blinking hard.

"Hi." he mimicked. The awkward feeling between us made my skin crawl and forced me to swallow painfully. It nearly pushed tears out of me.

I leaned against the door pane, playing with one of my curls. "Can I come in?"

He nodded.

I broke away from the door, stepping to his bed, where he leaned against the backboard casually. I sat next to him, leaning in the same position as him. We both stared at the ceiling stars, neither of us speaking.

It had been days since I'd seen or heard from him. Sitting next to Jack was a great privilege I hadn't experienced recently, due to my irrational actions with Alex. Jack had almost lost all faith in me, but I was determined to get it back. I was fairly sure he knew it was a mistake, but this kind of mistake was something I could never take back.

"What can I do to fix this?" I whispered.

Jack turned to me, keeping his eyes steady. "I don't know."

"I messed up. Badly. I know that, and I'm sure you know that." I said.

He nodded, agreeing that I screwed up bigtime.

"I. Love. You." I said blatantly, attempting to get it bolted in his mind forever.

"I know." he murmured.

Without sobbing, or even my face wrinkling, a single tear fled down my face. I didn't know what I could say to get him to understand.

"Did you know you're my first love?" Jack said randomly.

I wiped at my face and shook my head.

"I've had one other girlfriend other than you, and I've already forgotten her name. She could never even compare to you. After we went into high school, I couldn't find anyone as perfect." he said.

His words were like the stitches, sewing together the hole where my lungs used to be. I could finally breathe again. I could hardly speak, so overwhelmed that someone actually loved me like that.

"I annoyed the shit out of all my friends talking about you, especially on tour. I always wondered where you went. That's why I couldn't have been more excited to see you again."

"You're the only guy I've ever had." I murmured, staring at my hands.

Jack reached up to my hand, locking it tightly around his. The heat of his palm was something I hadn't felt in a long time, something I was more than happy to feel again.

"You're my only love."

I laid my head on Jack's shoulder, to get a bit more of the heat I had craved. Jack leaned his head on mine, sighing deeply.

"I've missed you. I'm glad you're back." he said into my hair.

"Glad to be back."


	7. Chapter 7

(A/N Sorry it's been so long, but I'll update more very soon.)

"So when am I meeting May and Joe?" I whispered in Jack's ear. Kara eyed me suspiciously, but Rian just laughed. The table was a bit too small for my liking, and made me feel a bit claustrophobic, being too close to Ri and K, not to mention Lisa and Matt.

"What did I say about dirty talk at the table?" Kara stammered.

"It wasn't dirty!"

"Then why is Jack giggling?" Kara pointed.

"Because everything Grace says is dirty, shouldn't you know that already?" Jack smiled.

I smacked him hard, just before letting out a laugh.

Everything was great; Jack and I were on great terms; we were almost up to speed with Alex; and the wedding was coming soon. Nothing could be better.

"Okay, if it wasn't dirty, then what did you say?" Kara pressed.

"She said..." Jack opened his mouth to get me into trouble, but I knew him well enough now to know when to stop him.  
"I said that I need to meet May and Joe. Happy?" I said with slight acid.

"Yes."

My phone buzzed my front pant pocket, and I retrieved it sneakily. Kara would kill me if she knew I was texting at Chilli's.

((Who is that girl? That blond you're sitting next to? Is she single?))

The text was from Alex, who sat across the restaurant, quietly eating by himself.

((None of your busi-

"What are you doing?" Kara inquired at mid-text. I hid my phone quickly before all eyes were on me. I smiled and scratched at my leg.

"I have an itch."

Of course my perv of a boyfriend bursted with laughter. But I loved him all the more for it.

"So Zack? Which is better; formal black, or uplifting white?" I asked. In my hands were two suits, one black and one white. I offered them to Zack, but from his eyes, I could tell his decision was already made.

"Casual and formal. Black is perfect. The only one wearing white should be the bride." Zack smiled at me, with those eyes that made me turn away. _Get it together Grace, you're getting married, _I whispered to myself. It truly was a wonder how Zack was still single.

"So should we go low cut and vest, or high cut and tie?" I mumbled. Wedding crap wasn't my deal.

"I think vests give a nice touch to the black. What's your favorite color?" Zack asks.

"Silver or blue." I answer.

"Silver is great for vests. Bow or tie?"

"Tie."

"I think we're done for the guys." Zack sighed contently.

I smiled with excitement. One step closer to my wedding. It was finally happening.

"So when do we start looking for my dress?" I edged. My dress was the most important thing to me about this wedding, but not as important as being bonded with Jack. I smiled at the thought.

_Grace Barakat, _ I whispered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

That's when I saw it.

Zack and I had spent the last hour crawling around the Baltimore Bridal shop, only hoping to find everything we needed. I hadn't gone a second without thinking of my dress, but failed to find it. Until now. This dress was perfect.

I intermediately got the employee's attention, asking to try it on.

Behind the divider, I slid on the ivory laced dress. It was great in length; reaching the floor and more. It was a strapless empire bust, zipping up in the back, with minuscule beads everywhere. Once it was finally on, I crept out from behind the divider for Zack to see, and for my first look in the mirror.

Two gasps. First his. Then mine.

"Grace, that dress is beautiful, I don't know what to say." Zack whispered.

I turned to the mirror, twirling in my dress, finally seeing how I'd look on that day. It was all fun before the tears came. Not of sadness, but of the pure elated joy, and for the anticipation of July 14th.

(A/N July 14th is my birthday btw :D haha)


	8. Chapter 8

(So so sorry it's been so long! But me and my best friend finally pieced it all back together. So to apologize for being so lazy, I will post a longer chapter. Love Gabby)

"Are they here yet?" I asked, biting at my fingernail. Nerves shook my voice, almost making it incoherent.

"No Grace, now would you chill? They're not like the King and Queen." Jack rolled his eyes.

I scooted over on Jack's love seat to make room for him, quietly tapping my anxious foot. "Jack, do you not realize how important this is? I'm just lucky I already met your parents 10 years ago."

"May and Joe are going to love you, it's not that hard to do." Jack said, lightly gripping my chin, pursing his lips. He was deep in thought. I locked my eyes with his for mere moments before he bent to the right and kissed my cheek.

Three raps on the door came next. I sat up perfectly straight, awaiting the entrance of my fiancé's siblings. I could already feel myself hyperventilating. The haunting thought that they wouldn't like me lingered on my mind.

Mixed feeling of elation came from the inner hallway of Jack's house. Shouted names, and family hugs filtered in my direction.

"May, Joe, this is Grace." Jack gestured to me, smiling.

"Hi." I mumbled with a smile, stepping off the love seat.

Man was May beautiful. And holy cow, Joe looked just like Jack but older. May immediately tackle hugged me, while Joe just grinned sweetly. Jack on the other hand was laughing, as usual.

I backed away from May to give a quick greeting hug to Joe.

"So why haven't I gotten a chance to meet you before?" I asked as we all sat at Jack's tiny dinner table. I had to share a chair with Jack, but I didn't mind. He already had my fingers intertwined with his.

"We live up in New York, so it's hard to make time to visit little Baltimore. Plus Jack's always on tour." May said in her melancholy voice. Her stick straight deep brown hair was what Jack had pointed out as his natural color.

Joe nodded, taking a chug of water. I could already tell he was a laid back, chill person.

We talked a little while longer, but it was mostly May and I talking about girlie wedding plans. I had to be careful though, Jack wasn't supposed to know what my dress looked like. Joe and Jack chatted about band stuff; how tour was, how the new album was going, how the other guys were, etc.

I wondered why they were so nice to me honestly. With what happened and all.

I gasped, hopping off the chair, dragging Jack along with me to the kitchen only feet away. "We'll be right back." I said over my shoulder.

"Grace...?" Jack raised an eyebrow at me.

"Jack, do they know about..." I paused, "January?"

Jack looked even more confused, but soon realized what I was asking, "Not a clue." he hesitated. I felt terrible bringing back that awful memory, but I needed to know why his siblings were being so sincere.

I sighed, trailing my eyes off towards the refrigerator.

"No one outside the band knows." he added.

I didn't speak, only wrapped my arms around his waist. He in return kissed my forehead, resting his head on my shoulder.

"Why are we here?" I asked jokingly. Me and my girls were spending another night out at Chilli's.

Kara laughed, reaching out and grabbing my hand, "Because. Just because."

Lisa, May, Kara, Annie, Alexandra and I all filed into the restaurant, taking our seats at large table.

"So are you excited for July 14th?" Alexandra asked.

I hadn't known her for very long, but I really like Alexandra. She was a smart blond with a sharp attitude. She was Kara and Lisa's best friend, so I already knew we'd get a long.

"No I'm dreading the day already." I said sarcastically. Who asks if you're excited to get married? Alexandra laughed, catching her slightly dumb question.

"So are you and Jack going to have kids?" asked Annie.

Annie; another girl I hadn't known long. She was also a friend of Kara and Lisa, but she too was Grieco's longtime girlfriend. Insanely pretty, I might add, just like all my other friends.

"We decided to wait and see where things go." I answered.

Similar to my encounter days before, my phone buzzed.

((YOU'RE OUT WITH HER AGAIN!?!? WHO IS THAT BLOND!?!?))

I was suddenly shocked. I scanned the entire restaurant, looking for a pair of brown eyes staring back at me, but came up empty. I was sure I was being stalked by Alex Gaskarth.

((Alex what the hell? Are you following me??))

I quickly texted him back so Kara wouldn't see. I knew she wouldn't be keen to me texting at the dinner table. Another buzz, another text.

((Seriously Gracie, tell me who she is!))

((Why? She'd never be interested in you))

I searched again, looking for that teased brown hair. Not even in the shadows could I find a Gaskarth.

I never got anything back from him, which worried me a little. But I shook it off, to have some fun with my friends.

"So when do I get to meet Matt's girlfriend?" I asked the girls.

They all laughed at me, which surprised me a bit. I glanced at May, who was also confused.

"None of us have met her." Kara giggled.

"Why?"

They all looked at me, wide grins mounted on their faces. They knew something I didn't, and it was really bothering me. I glared at each and every one of them until my eyelids begged for mercy.

"Why?!" I stammered.

"Because Matt is crazy. He wont let any of us meet her." Lisa smiled.

"He said something about us 'ripping her to shreds'. I mean what the hell is that?" Annie said, raising both shoulders.

"Well she is only 19." Alexandra added. The girls nodded, in slight understanding.

"Hmm." I sighed. I guess I'd never meet the infamous 'Kendra'.


	9. Chapter 9

2:58am, July 10th. I awoke next to Jack, who happened to be deep in slumber. I was dazed and puzzled, unknowing of why I was awake. All I remembered was seeing Alex's face, and the sounds of cries. It must've been a bad dream.

I snuggled up to my future husband, but with thoughts of Alex still lingering. I wondered what the nightmare had meant, realizing that I hadn't seen or spoken to Alex in days.

I also noticed that the last contact I had with him was our short text conversation at Chilli's.

What had I done?

The words I sent him replayed in my mind. I had practically told him he had no chance with Lisa, not even a little. With most guys, this would've been fine. But with an alcoholic like Alex G., things get blown way out of proportion.

I sat in bed, wide-eyed and terrified. Rejection is not something Alex would've taken lightly. Tears of remorse began to dribble down my face. I had sent someone spiraling downward.

I nearly choked on my cries, which was unfortunately just a tad too loud. Jack awoke with a stir, frantically looking around his blue room, searching for the matter.

"Grace, are you okay?" he said with sleep in his voice.

"Yeah." I couldn't hide my shattered voice well.

"What's wrong?" Jack whispered. He lied back down, pulling me into his safe grasp.

"Bad dream." I mustered.

"You want to talk about it?" he asked, still half asleep.

"No, just go back to bed."

My eyes fluttered open, checking the bedside clock. Shit, it was 12:38. I was supposed to be helping Zack with wedding prep!

I rose from the bed as quickly as possible, but was stopped by a pair of hairy arms, locking around my waist. Jack pulled me back into the bed easily, kissing the top of my head.

"Zack's probably waiting right now! Jack let me go!" I shouted, fighting his tight grip.

"Sweetie, chill. Zack called and said he could take care of it. You need a day of relaxation."

"I don't need any TLC, I need to get the flowers!"

Jack laughed at my childish fighting, "Grace, you're over-worked. Spend the day with me. Please?"

I turned back, looking into a large pair of brown eyes. I sighed half-heartedly and stopped constricting.

It took Jack and I about 2 hours to get out of bed. We just laid there, not saying a word. Peering up to him, I realized that he had fallen asleep again. I giggled and hopped off the blue bed, stealing a kiss on the cheek before I ran downstairs to make him some breakfast, even though it was 2 in the afternoon.

I made just about everything Jack had in the kitchen; some eggs, bacon, toast, and oatmeal. I was just putting some butter on the toast when Jack stumbled down the stairs, his hair it's usual mess.

"Hey wifey." he yawned.

"I'm not your wifey just yet, mister." I smiled.

His arms wrapped around me from behind, kissing my neck. I laughed and grabbed his hands, pulling them tightly around me. All I hoped was that he would never let go.

Jack pulled up a seat at the tiny table, taking a whiff of the coffee already set out. He picked up a book, lying half open on the other end of the table.

"You've been reading?" He asked, holding up my copy of Tuck Everlasting.

"Yeah, I actually read a lot." I said, bending over the chair across the table from him. He smiled and laid the book back down.

"What else do you read?" he sipped at his coffee.

"Other than Twilight-" I shivered, "I've read Little Women, the Secret Garden, War and Peace." I looked at Jack, who looked to be bored out of his mind, "What have you read?"

"Hop on Pop?"

I laughed and rolled my eyes, heading back to the burning bacon. Over my shoulder I called, "You should read more, it's fun."

It was almost like I could hear his smirk saying, 'Never gonna happen'.

It was less than 2 days before the wedding, and all I could do was shake with excitement. Just the thought of being with Jack for the rest of my life cleared my mind of all meaning.

Jack was fast asleep next to me, light snores escaping him. It was late, but I couldn't sleep due to the jitters of the rehearsal dinner tomorrow. I didn't know how Jack could sleep so peacefully when in just 2 days our lives would change forever.

I shook my head, realizing I needed sleep for my big day tomorrow. Curling up to my future husband, I sighed and wrapped my arms around him, happy to just be close to him.


	10. Chapter 10

In the view of Zack Merrick

I quickly threw on a button-up and jeans, trying to look a little nice for the dinner that I was already late for. Grace would kill me if I was a no-show, Jack would possibly join in.

I rushed to dinner, which was being held at Grace's dad's house. I heard he was loaded and had some sort of mansion, but when I pulled up, I was surprised at the normal suburban household.

I jogged to the door, no struggle. I ran every morning.

Grace's father opened the door with a grin, pointing to a back room. "Hi I'm Zack." I smiled.

"James, nice to meet you."

The dining hall was huge. And full. All the people lining the table were bubbling with laughter, creating an uproar of noise. I spotted my friends at the end of the table, and one open seat for me.

On one side of me was Rian and on the other was someone I had never met. Some girl, black hair, olive skin, and the darkest eyes I had ever seen. This girl was beautiful, almost glowing next to me.

Nerves nearly ate my stomach alive. Being around other people, especially people like this girl, usually sent my mind spinning. I had barely made eye contact with this girl and I was already dizzy.

Attempting to stay focused, I leaned to Rian and tried to talk casually. "What did I miss?"

"Face time, and that's about it." He laughed.

"Who was it?"

"Seriously? You're going to ask that? Who the hell is getting married tomorrow?!" Rian joked. Even when he was making fun of me, he was still nicer than anyone I'd ever met.

Being reminded of the event the next day, I peeked at the happy couple two seats up. They were both smiling widely, with champagne glasses in hand. Next to Grace was Kara, next to Kara was Rian and then came me.

Next to Jack were his best friend's Jason and Marc, and next to them was the blond friend of Kara and Grace's. Beyond that were family members and acquaintances that I hadn't met.

I hadn't seen Gaskarth in a while, and he wasn't there either. There wasn't even a seat waiting for him. I was in the midst of asking Rian what was up with that when a dainty tap poked my shoulder.

"Hi."

I shyly turned around to the girl next to me. "Hi."

"You have amazing eyes. Did you know that?" she giggled.

I tried not to flush, slyly looking away. I wanted to tell her the same, but mumbled a 'thanks'.

"I'm Ella, a friend of Grace's." she grinned, revealing an amazing smile. Her eyes were a deep brown, making it almost impossible not to get lost in them. I could hardly see her pupils.

"Zack. I'm in the band with Jack." I extended an arm, gripping her small hands lightly. It was an odd feeling to touch her, just from the look of her skin, goosebumps rattled up my arms.

Before I could continue talking to Ella, Rian rose up from his chair.

"I wanted to say some words about the almost couple." He said, flashing his piano key teeth.

The hall quieted, awaiting to hear what Rian had to say.

"Jack, I've been lucky enough to know you since high school, and now that you're getting married, I couldn't be more proud to be in a band with you. You made high school worth surviving. You're seriously my closest friend, and I trust you with my life. You're creative, smart, funny and great to be around, plus you've taught me a lot, and I am eternally grateful to you. But one thing dude, stay away from the blue hair dye.

"Grace, I haven't known you very long, but this last year and a half has been one hell of a ride, and you've bumped you're way up to second most amazing girl in my life." he paused to glance at Kara, who was obviously the first. "What I love about you, is that you always care, especially for all your friends and family. You truly rock. And I know you and Jack will do great. No matter what happens, I can be sure you two will work it out, because this couple right here, was meant to be together. I love you both so much it's impossible to explain. Cheers." Rian smiled again, raising his champagne.

I swear half the table was crying, including Grace. I myself was far from tears, but I did have a smile plastered on my face, happy to see my friends so... happy.

A few other people spoke, but when Rian looked to me in a way that said, 'stand up douche bag', I knew it was my time to say something. I didn't have anything prepared, but why the hell not.

"Jack, you just might be the funniest person I know. You make this band something fun for everyone, so it seems like less of a job. The funnest times in my life are the times with you and the rest of the band.

"And Grace. You're honestly amazing. You've changed my mind for the better, and you put my skills to good use." I smiled weakly, attempting to make a joke. "I'm glad you called me that random day. It changed my life.

"You two are awesome together, and that's the truth. You guys are gonna last forever. Cheers."

I was relieved to be through, but also thankful that I stood up. I had wanted to say some things for a while, but I could never find the right time to.

Matt took his turn, but it was mostly just hassling Jack about all the shit he put him through. Vinny, Evan and Grieco said very little, but what they did say came from the heart.

Danny was the last to stand. He shyly pulled at his collar, looking down at his empty plate before opening his mouth. "Grace and Jack. You are two amazing people. Grace, my best girlfriend and Jack the best guy I've ever tuned guitars for. I'm glad I can call you two friends of mine. Have fun tomorrow. Cheers."

Once everyone was done speaking, James announced that the food was coming. He also mentioned that they were serving some kind of fish with a side of salad. The guests went back to chatting at random. Their annoying and obnoxious laughs hitting a high volume.

I was afraid to talk to Ella, so I trailed my eyes off to Grace and Jack, at the very moment that Grace received a text. The shock on her face scared me. Keeping a watchful eye on her, I heard her whisper to Jack that she'd be right back, stealing a kiss before running off.

Jack didn't seem phased, but I wasn't sure he saw what I saw. My worry for Grace forced me to hop from my seat and hurry in her direction. I walked into a dark hallway and followed an unidentified sound.

I walked to the bathroom, where I could hear tears on the other side of the door. I knocked once, but decided to screw it and threw the door open.

Grace sat on the counter, her phone in hand, her face bright red. I instinctively wrapped my arms around her.

She let out a sob, "I don't know what to do Zack. He's gone, and it's all my fault!"


	11. Chapter 11

"Okay Zack, I need you to tell Jack everything. Will you do that for me?" Grace sniffed. She had both hands on my shoulders, constantly shaking me. I couldn't seem to focus on what she was saying.

"Um sure." I mumbled.

"Zack I'm serious, I know how mad he'll be that I'm running from the dinner, but I need to help Alex. I think I'm the only one who realizes how serious this is." she said, each word cold and distinct. She lifted her hands from my shoulders to wipe at her red eyes. "Just remember, sunsets always end in the Stratosphere."

And with that, she was gone. Out of the bathroom and slyly out of her father's house.

Walking back into the dining hall was probably the heaviest I had ever felt. The burden resting on me and the deed I was about to fulfill nearly dragged me back to the bathroom in fear. I could already tell Jack wasn't going to take it well, considering the incident that happened in January.

I sat back at my seat, staring down at my plate, which was full of some form of fish. I mean, protein is great, but this looked disgusting.

Jack was perfectly fine. Obviously because he had no idea where his girlfriend was or where she was going. I wanted to give Grace a little time to hop a plane and get out of Maryland before telling him.

But that wasn't really working out. Jack was slowly seeing that she wasn't around, noticing that she had been in the bathroom for some time. I poked at my something-or-other inconspicuously.

It was when Jack leaned to Rian and asked if he'd seen Grace that I knew I needed to tell him.

"Hey Jack, I need to talk to you in private." I said, my stomach dropping.

Jack looked at me suspiciously, almost as if he knew what he was a about to be told.

"I know where she is." I whispered once we were in the dim hallway. I only whispered because I had hoped he would too.

"Well? Spill it."

"On a plane... to Vegas."

Jack's tantrum was anything but quiet. I couldn't comprehend how angry he was, but I could imagine if my fiancée jumped a plane to Vegas to save the same guy she had sex with months before, I'd be a bit pissed off too.

Jack's screams seemed unnecessarily loud and in my face. He put all the blame on me.

"WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU STOP HER?!" He yelled, alerting the guests.

"I couldn't."

"WHY NOT!?!?!"

"She was determined." I mumbled.

"FUCK THAT!!" Jack huffed, charging off to the hall. He was still in anger when he grabbed Rian by the shirt and lifted him from his seat. Rian looked at Kara, and then looked to me with panic stricken in his eyes.

"What the hell man?" he hesitated.

"We're going to Vegas. NOW." Jack glared.


	12. Chapter 12

(Long chapter for you3)

The hour of waiting for the next flight to Dallas was the most tedious wait ever. Everyone was so high on energy, they could run a marathon, but we had to sit in uncomfortable airport chairs for an hour before we could do so. Jack continued to tap his foot in anticipation.

What he was anticipating, I had no clue.

He kept checking his phone. As if she'd call or text him. She knew how mad he would be, she was prepared, she was aware.

We finally boarded. I hated flying, only because being so far away from everything else sent chills down my spine. The only thing good coming out of any flight for me were the peanuts. And the wine.

It took about 20 minutes into our flight that I remembered Ella. I couldn't believe I had left such a gorgeous girl alone, while I chased after the bride to be. This storybook wasn't going in the right direction.

We landed in Dallas, only to wait for another hour before we could board to Vegas. This wait was worse than the first. This time it was hot, and heavily crowded. I had to cover my face half the time, for fear of being noticed by any teenagers. Being attacked wasn't on my agenda.

We repeated steps 1, 2 and 3. Board, sit, unboard. But this time, we were on the hunt-down for a damsel in distress and a lost soul. This scavenger hunt was going to be interesting.

For some unexplained reason, I had to buy both rentals. I didn't even get to drive the one I was in, I was forced to the back seat. It was some tiny hybrid. I was thrown in the car with Matt, Kara, Rian, and Danny. I thanked my lucky stars that I wasn't around hormonal Jack.

Though my car wasn't all too fabulous. Kara just sat on the hump, biting her nail and searching out the window. Rian held her free hand and nearly fell asleep on her shoulder. Danny wouldn't shut up about how funny this whole thing was. I was honestly surprised, seeing as how close he was to Grace. Matt was constantly finding something to be pissed about; complaining that we got a shitty rental; it's all GKarth's fault; Danny smelt like bad fish etc. Matt just wasn't in the hunting mood.

I was the only one who never said a word. I couldn't force anything out. Everything was going great until Grace got that text, and now the wedding of the year may be ruined. Props to Gaskarth for screwing everyone over. I couldn't help but wonder why he ran off to Vegas in the first place.

We pulled up to our central meeting place; a typical Mariot. We'd check back there every few hours, and if the chase continued on to the next day, this was our camp.

My lucky stars turned their backs on me, sending me to the room with Jack and Vinny. I couldn't help but feel like Jack hated me, and that he thought this was all my fault. Well maybe it was.

Through the time change, everyone ended up dead asleep, everyone of course, but me and the blond friend who tagged along on our little adventure. Snores ripped out from every sleeping soul in the room, causing a chorus of moans and groans. I sat at the desk, poking around on Matt's laptop, while the blond sat on the couch.

"So you're Zack." she said, just quiet enough not to wake anyone.

I turned slightly on the spinning chair to get a glimpse of her. "Yeah. Not to be rude or anything, but who are you, and why are you here?" I whispered. I wished I hadn't said anything, it sounded a lot less mean in my head.

"Ha ha. I'm Lisa, a friend of Grace and Kara. I'm here for support." she smiled.

"Okay, that makes more sense."

"So this Alex, why did he come here?" she asked.

"I would tell you if I knew. Grace wouldn't say a single word about it. She seemed ashamed." I pondered, closing Matt's laptop and turning fully.

"That's odd. How are we going to find him?"

"I honestly don't know. We'll probably split up. Oh don't forget, we need to find Grace too." I pointed out.

"Oh yeah." she noticed. Her eyes fell to the floor. I could tell she was worried.

"We'll find them." I said.

"I sure hope so. Grace... mentioned something." she hesitated.

"What was it?"

"She said that Alex leaving had something to do with me." she fiddled with her pockets uncomfortably.

"When did you talk to her?" I continued to question.

"She texted me on the plane to see what was going on. She had no idea you guys were coming, she was even more surprised to hear I was going. But she said it was 'better' that I came." she said, fully and honestly confused.

I had no clue what Grace was hinting at either. I was never good with puzzles.

I told Lisa that I would prefer to search with her, rather than the pissy groom, the chatty guitar tech, the annoying couple or anyone else. She agreed that we could be partners in crime.

Lisa and I went to our rooms and slept for a few hours. I was abruptly awoken by Jack's huffing and puffing at the smallest things. He had thrown a fit when Danny left his shoes in the wrong place. He seriously needed his fiancée and a chill pill. Before he got around to killing us all.

I left the hotel with Lisa on foot while two other groups left in the rentals. Our plan was to search possible places and continuously call Alex and Grace. It wasn't really that great of a plan, but it was all we had.

A sudden flashback to over a year ago made my head spin. Scavenger hunts weren't my forte, realizing I totally screwed up the first time around. Grace could've been killed if Jack wasn't there, Alex and I just meandered around Baltimore.

Looking back on the last year and a half, I realized how perfect Jack and Grace were for each other. Just how they stayed together through all the shit that went down astounded me. Love was not something I was lucky enough to experience just yet, but they helped me to believe it was possible. And their inspiration was enough motivation to find her.

Lisa and I continued on through the crowded streets of Vegas, only blocks from the infamous strip. Lisa received numerous nervous calls from Kara, while I tried desperately to contact Grace and Alex, failing miserably.

Until one call went through.

"Hello?" a heavily intoxicated Alex answered.

I nearly jumped with accomplishment, but realized I needed to find him before I could pat myself on the back. "Alex? Where are you?"

"Who the fuck is this?" he mumbled.

"It's Zack you dumbshit, now where are you?" I questioned, trying not to get aggravated.

"Why does it... matter? I'm not important to anyone anymore."

What he said confused me. I hadn't the slightest clue why he was so upset.

"Alex, please, just tell me where you are." I said calmly.

Alex paused, thinking before he spoke. Obviously he wasn't thinking hard, he probably had a couple hours worth of alcohol in him. A muffled cough escaped his mouth and then he whispered, "The Burger Bar. Las Vegas Boulevard. Go nuts."

The line went dead.


	13. Chapter 13

"Lisa, where are we?" I asked frantically. She was on the phone with Kara, but soon noticed the urgency in my voice.

"Reno Avenue, why?" she asked.

"How far are we from Las Vegas Boulevard?"

"About 2 blocks." she answered, still utterly confused.

"In what direction?"

"South, I think. Zack what the hell is going on?"

Without the slightest caring of what she asked, I grabbed her hand and bolted down the street, dodging as many pedestrians as possible. Lisa tried to keep up, but I had been running in every free moment I had. I was unstoppable.

I smiled widely at the sight of the Burger Bar. We had finally made it.

"We're looking for someone." Lisa mustered.

The woman at the counter slyly rolled her eyes, walking away from the podium.

The moment we walked around the corner to the bar section (where we knew Alex would be), a loud contact noise ripped throughout the bar. Chanting and shouting alerted the staff and not to mention Lisa and I. A fight was ensuing.

Of course, the guy lying on the ground, checking his face for blood, was Mr. Pretty Boy Alex Gaskarth. The man who sent him flying was largely built with ferocious facial hair. Alex looked scrawny next to this guy.

Alex had almost hobbled to his feet when I broke through the crowd. Setting myself up for disaster, I put myself between him and freakish-tall-scary man. He glared at me with round eyes and growled for added affect.

"What the hell man, pick on someone your own size." I shouted, using my voice for once.

The scary man growled again, getting angrier by the minute. A fist was suddenly being thrown at my face, but, being the quick thinking guy that I was, I ducked. But the punch went straight to Alex, sending him back another 10 feet, hitting the floor with a thud.

Lisa's screech could've been heard back in Baltimore. She pushed her way through the crowd quickly to Alex's side, caring to his head wound. Alex was almost unconscious by then.

I turned back to the man, who was about to take another swing at me. Luckily for me, I took jujitsu as a kid, and knew exactly where to punch when someone had had enough to eat (or drink in this case). One jab at his stomach was enough to knock him to the floor. Fight over.

Lisa and I dragged an unrecognizable Gaskarth out of the bar. He was beaten pretty badly and had had too many shots for his own good. Off to the hotel we went in one of the many Vegas cabs.

Alex lied down on the couch, passing out instantly. Lisa and I laughed in unison, taking a seat across the room.

"That was eventful." she giggled.

"To say the least." I added.


	14. Chapter 14

Alex had finally woken up, coughing himself off his bed. It was 10:45pm and almost everyone was asleep, excluding me and Jack. He wanted to speak with Gaskarth immediately, I was only staying awake to make sure Jack didn't kill him.

Alex stumbled to the bathroom to let out a load. He had gotten pretty wasted back at the Burger Bar, and it was expected that he would be hungover for a while. Jack and I waited for him out on the couch in the front room, where we could hear everything.

"What are you going to tell him?" I asked Jack, breaking the silence.

Jack didn't answer, he only shook his head at the floor.

There was still no luck on finding Grace. We were hoping that once Alex was done puking he could help us out a little. Other than myself, he was the only one to talk to her.

"I know where she is." a sheepish cry from the bathroom called. Jack and I glanced at each other before leaping off the couch in Gaskarth's direction. He was lying on the floor with his hand on his stomach, gasping for air.

"You okay man?" I asked frantically. Jack helped me as I lifted Alex from the floor, resting him next to the tub.

Alex ignored my question. "I don't know where she is exactly, but I do know she's somewhere on the strip."

Jack gave me a worried look. The strip was highly inhabited with people. Without a specific location, we would never find her.

"We could start looking now." I whispered to Jack.

It was like Jack didn't care that it was late on a Friday night on the Las Vegas strip, which probably had thousands of people on it by then. In his mind, all that mattered was finding his girlfriend. Jack and I were out of the hotel and hitting the streets in minutes.

We were walking out of the Mariot when Alex tumbled down the stars. He was shouting gibberish that sounded as if he wanted to come with us.

"Alex, you're pretty fucked right now, you need to lie down." Jack said, trying to keep his cool. Alex mumbled something unintelligible in return.

Out of nowhere came Rian and Kara, there in an instant to help us out.

"You guys weren't thinking about looking for Grace without us were you?" Rian laughed. He looked down at Alex, laughing even harder.

"Someone needs to help him back upstairs." I stated.

"I'll call Matt, Vinny and Grieco to come clean him up." Kara suggested. We all nodded, turning away to head out in the direction of the Vegas strip.

"HEY!?" Kara shouted. My head turned so quickly I nearly got whiplash. "You guys didn't think you would go searching for my best friend without me?"

Luckily for us, we had all been to Vegas before. Though unfortunately, Alex knew it like the back of his hand, and of course, he was probably puking at that moment.

The lights of Las Vegas were bright and energy-sucking, nearly blinding to the naked eye. The sidewalks were filled with people either looking for a casino or a lap dance. Or a Celine Dione concert.

Jack lead the way with long strides, intensity gripping his face. His determination was astounding. It was like he knew he was going to find her, without a doubt. His fast pace was hard for even me to keep up with.

We had walked all the way past Caesar's Palace, checking every residency if they had heard of a Grace Eckridge, coming up with nothing. I had finally suggested that we split up to make it faster. Rian and Kara stayed in the heart, while Jack went south and I went north.

My pulse was pumping. The fear of not finding Grace sent my nerves haywire. She was one of my closest friends, and losing her would've been like losing a sister. Plus Jack would never be the same. Without her, he would be nothing. Grace was like everyone's happiness wrapped up into one person. Her loss could possibly ruin the band, and practically destroy Jack forever. I wasn't willing to risk everything by leaving her behind.

I had passed a few more hotels and casinos when I started losing hope. This place was packed, who knew where she could've been. I wracked my brain, trying to remember anything she may have mentioned. Anything would help at that point.

The bold letters STRATOSPHERE nearly slapped me in the face. 'Sunsets always end in the Stratosphere'. I had hit the end of the strip, and there before my eyes was the Stratosphere hotel and casino. Grace told me where to go, I just didn't realize it.

I was fairly dumbfounded. I couldn't get my legs to move. But soon enough the thought of finding Grace lifted my heavy feet from the ground. I bolted across the street to the Stratosphere entrance.

The inside of the hotel was fabulously decorated with thousand dollar items everywhere. The pale tiles sparkled against the hovering lights over my head. There were paintings of half naked people on every wall and rose bushes underneath them.

The lady at the counter eyed my ratty clothing suspiciously. She had dark brown hair tightly pinned back, accentuating her wrinkled face. I ignored her; I was there for Grace, not to be judged.

"Do you possibly have a Grace Eckridge staying with you?" I asked with confidence.

Before the bitter woman could answer, my name was called from across the lobby. I turned quickly, to see Grace, wearing exactly what she left in. Her eyes were wide, astonished to see that I had found her. She ran in my direction, throwing her arms around me, as if she hadn't seen me in years.

"Zack, I've ruined everything." she cried into my shirt.

"Shh, there's still time to fix it."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N **Oh. My. God. I am so sorry for taking so long. It just kept slipping my mind. You are given full permission to virtually bitch slap me all you want. Or you could just enjoy the last chapter ;D (Epilogue will be up soon, I promise.)

By the time I walked Grace back to the hotel, everyone was sitting around the front room waiting. When I threw open the door, girlish shrieks bursted out of Kara and Lisa as they jumped to hug Grace. All the guys sighed with content, glad that everything was over. Man, were they wrong, this was just the beginning.

Once all the hugging, crying and 'OMG'ing was done, Grace looked to Rian.

"Where is he?" she sighed.

Rian couldn't bring himself to say anything, so he pointed to the bedroom. Her eyes fell to the floor, probably conjuring up something so say. I wanted to wish her luck, but I couldn't open my mouth. All I hoped was that nothing bad happened. Jack did have a temper.

Once the door had closed behind Grace, the front room went silent. Everyone was anxious to know what was going to be said. I felt overly guilty for listening in, but it was also necessary that I knew if someone needed help at any point in time.

"I'm sorry." Grace mumbled.

"Why? Why couldn't you wait? Is Alex that important to you?" Jack said angrily raising his voice.

Grace stayed silent, I could imagine she was on the verge of tears already. "I had to."

"Had to? Grace, you ruined our wedding!"

"Alex needed my help." She whispered helplessly.

"Alex is a big boy, he can take care of himself." Jack spat.

"If I didn't come here, no one else would." Grace said. She was slowly finding her voice.

"I'm sure he would've been fine."

Grace was done being quiet. "He needed me. And when my friends need me, I put aside whatever selfish thing I'm doing to help them."

I wasn't sure about all my other friends, but I was on the edge of my seat, waiting on the next word. The argument was getting quite heated.

I peeked at Alex, who looked more shameful than ever. He was the reason all of this even happened, and he was fully aware of it. He sat by himself at the dinner table, looking at his hands, trying not to break down. I almost felt bad for him.

"That doesn't mean-"

"Jack." Grace interrupted. "It doesn't matter what I feel for Alex, but it was my fault that he ran to Vegas in the first place. I needed to fix my mistake."

I looked around the room, raising my eyebrows. Everyone else looked just as confused as I did.

"Explain?" Jack asked.

Grace hesitated. "Alex wanted me to introduce him to Lisa, he just kept texting me and texting me about her. But I refused. I told him he had no chance with her whatsoever. He took it more than lightly."

Alex looked up from his hands and at the door. Lisa's eyes widened and she suddenly realized why Grace said it was better that she came. The whole thing was a tragic mistake that was easily mended. But what wasn't so easy to fix was the trust between Jack and Grace. It was the only thing putting a barrier among them.

"I'm sorry," Grace repeated, "this is all my fault. And I can understand if you don't forgive me. And I know the wedding is ruined. I can understand if you don't want to go through with it..."

"Grace, don't even say that. Things will work out. I promise." Jack said.

My face lit up, as did all my other friends. Hearing that things may get better brightened up the room, even Alex's dreary eyes were slightly optimistic.

The other room was still. I assumed Jack and Grace realized how quiet the suite had become. Matt's face grew antsy.

"So how was the Burger Bar?" he shouted to Alex.

"More fabulous than it sounds." he shouted back.


	16. Epilogue

**A/N **Hello again! Enjoy this last tidbit, and again, if you hate Lisa, that's your problem, not mine.

Epilogue

In the view of Alex Gaskarth

I hate formal wear. Always had, always will. These stupid suits were uncomfortable and ugly, something I would never wear, unless forced. Which of course, was the only reason I was in this fucking suit in the first place. It was Jack and Grace's wedding.

The ceremony had just ended. Thank God. Everyone had moved over a building to enter the reception, where the tables were piled high with fattening foods. I resisted them and sat at a lonely table on the outskirts. I was too busy wallowing to speak with anyone.

After the big Vegas excursion, I was pretty wiped. Almost ruining my best friend's wedding was hard enough in itself, but I had consumed a lot of alcohol in the process. I wasn't going to be fully together for a while.

To make matters worse, things between Lisa and I were all too awkward. I couldn't even talk to her without freezing up. I didn't know what was wrong with me; I had never had girl problems before.

The reception slowly filled with people, all talking about the ceremony. It was just a typical service, I didn't see what was so exciting about it.

Sitting at the lonely table, I had never felt more deserted. Rian was smooching with Kara, Zack was with some short chick I hadn't quite met, and Jack and Grace were obviously canoodling. I was left to myself, no Lisa in sight. I didn't blame her. After my performance, I wasn't surprised she was ignoring me.

Jack and Grace were about to begin their first dance as a married couple. Normally, I would've been very happy for them, but deep in my cold mind, I was too fixed on myself. Typical Alex Gaskarth. Selfish.

_Baby's black balloon makes her fly_

_I almost fell into that hole in your life_

_If you're not thinking 'bout tomorrow_

_'Cuz you were the same as me_

_But on your knees_

The music began to play. It was the song Grace had decided on months ago; Black Balloon by the Goo Goo Dolls. The song was just barely slow enough to dance too, but from what I knew, it was meaningful. Jack took Grace and they began to sway around the room. All the guests watched with wide smiles plastered on their faces.

I continued to sit by myself as other couples joined in. All my friends were happily with their other half, leaving me. I couldn't help but pity myself.

That's when I spotted her, in a light blue satin dress, her long blond hair pulled back in a bun. Her blues eyes, enhanced by the dress, and small frame searched the room. For God knows what, I thought.

My eyes floated back to the table. My life was seriously sucking.

"Hi." a light voice said.

I slowly tilted my head upward, locking eyes with her.

"I bet you know by now that I'm Lisa." she smiled, flashing gorgeous teeth. Everything about this girl was perfect.

"Yeah." I mumbled.

"Would you like to dance?" she asked.

I tried not to laugh, "More than anything."

**A/N **I'm incredibly sad to see this fiction series come to an end. I honestly would LOVE to continue writing onward, but all good things must come to an end, right? I'd hate to drag out this story any longer. Thank you to those who read it from start to finish and continuously praised it. You guys rock!

-Gabby


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